Aztec Blood
by janekle
Summary: Dawn and Adanar Towards morning. have joined Angel Investigations. A young priest involves them in a mystery with its beginnings in the distant past. Chapter 2 now up.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: 

"I dunno what's weirder, the priest _or_ his church."

Gunn muttered as he and Dawn crossed the litter strewn sidewalk to his car.

"Know what you mean. He is a bit off, isn't he?"

Dawn stood by the car and gave the church a last, long look.

Old, must date back to when the city was still part of Mexico, she thought. It had been pleasing to the eye once but now, hemmed in as it was by run down warehouses and semi-occupied blocks of office buildings with the requisite layers of graffiti; it was gloomy, brooding and somewhat sinister. She kept her expression blank as she noticed the elder of the two priests lingering in the shadowy doorway to say a few words to the old Indian woman who nodded and scuttled down the steps and down the sidewalk while keeping as much distance as possible between Gunn's car and herself. Dawn opened the car door and slid onto the front seat beside Gunn.

"I feel like we've got the plague or something very nasty. Father Diaz isn't impressed with Father Mathew coming to see us, is he? He didn't seem at all put out about the blood stains on the altar or the disfigured crucifix."

She muttered as she clipped her seat belt with a snap.

Gunn turned the key in the ignition and wheeled out into the traffic before answering,

"Yeah, I got the feeling that Father Mathew is going to be in trouble over wanting to know what the hell is happening inside that church. What do you think is going on?"

"I'm not sure; but there's definitely something creepy at work in there. There must have been a whole lot of blood to leave stains that large. And did you get a _look_ at some of those old murals? I'm no Catholic but if those were Saints then I'll walk through a cemetery tonight after slicing myself up and dripping blood! I'll do some research on that place and the good Fathers when I've got a quiet moment. Can you stop at that store? We're out of milk."

He pulled into the parking lot of the store she had indicated and watched as she went in for the milk. Through the window he saw the old woman from the church staring at Dawn and whispering to a trio of teenaged Indian boys. Gunn partially opened his door, ready to leap out if necessary but the group merely fell silent and stared at the girl as she paid for the milk and left. Dawn slipped into the car and let out a sigh of relief as they drove past the still staring group.

"What was _that_ all about?"

Gunn wanted to know.

Dawn shrugged,

"I think we'll be watched if we come back down here again and we won't be too welcome either from the look of it. I overheard enough to make that out but they began talking in another language that wasn't Spanish. Another mystery. I'm not over fond of mysteries; they have this habit of turning into Armageddon's or Apocalypses and other assorted annoyances."

"Yeah, I kinda noticed that myself. We keep running into the one's that leave you bruised and battered, if not actually at deaths door. Can't say I like cryptic prophesies either; get you into all sorts of trouble, those will."

He mused out loud before changing the subject to a more immediate concern,

"How long do you reckon Angel and Spike can go without beating each other up? I'm not used to them being all _friendly_ and it's starting to mess with my head."

Dawn laughed,

"It _is _kinda freaky, isn't it? I'm just hoping one of them doesn't have a sudden fit of insanity and dust or fry the other! What has me spooked the most it neither of them have tried to interrogate me about Buffy and the new boyfriend; normal _not._"

She had returned from her two months in Rome over a week ago and had been expecting the vamps to want to know every detail about her sister's doings and the Immortal in particular. Instead they had both been content to ask how she'd enjoyed her time with Buffy was and leaving it at that.

Gunn pulled up at the kerb out front of the office and told her,

"You know, I actually think they've both given up on her. Angel's quite happy with Nina. Not that we want him to be _too_ happy of course, Angelus was damn hard to get rid of last time he paid us a visit! Spike went real quiet for the first few days after you guys left for Italy and then seemed to come out of it full of plans for this place."

Dawn handed him the milk before getting out of the car, saying as she joined him on the kerb,

"I don't think Spike will give up _that_ easily. He was with Dru for over a hundred years and he _is_ the last of the original Victorian romantics; I bet he's still writing reams of mushy love poems for Buffy!"

Gunn opened the door and dropped his voice too low to be overheard,

"As long as he doesn't start _reading_ them to us on slow nights; I've gotta horrible feeling it'd be as bad as Angel's taste in music."

"Barry Manilow!"

The spoke as one and laughed a little harder at Angel's perplexed expression.

It wasn't quite sundown when Angel made his way upstairs to find Adanar manning the front desk and alone in the office. The Ganaru was singing softly to himself and the vampire regretted that Lorne wasn't there to here the wonderful voice. He missed Lorne and knowing that it was he himself who had driven the Pylean away stung as painfully as the loss of Cordelia, Wesley, Fred and Illyria. And Doyle; mustn't forget the first soldier down or the visions the half-breed demon had passed on to Cordelia. Angel found the lack of a seer hampered them badly and wondered if The Powers That Be would send them another. But for now they had to work with what they had; two souled vampires, a Ganaru healer and two human warriors.

"Gunn and Dawn out handling that desecration matter?"

The vamp asked as he sifted through the small stack of mail, so different from the masses of paperwork that went with being in charge of Wolfram and Hart.

Adanar nodded,

"They should be back soon. They were only going to speak to the priest and examine the church to see if it looked like a one off rather than a systematic matter. There was a call from a young woman who sounded quite distressed and asked for an appointment. She shall be here at eight thirty."

"Did she say what it was about?"

"She recently moved in to a building she feels is haunted by something unpleasant and since she can not afford to move again, she wants to be rid of the ghost or whatever is making her life uncomfortable."

'Angel Investigations' was back in business and as much in demand as ever. L.A might not be a certified Hellmouth but there _was_ a sizable demon community, an inexhaustible supply of eccentric humans and an even larger population of the helpless. Members of both groups sometimes found their way through the doors of the agency's latest address; an old two storied building that had once housed a street level grocery store with two small apartments above. It hadn't taken much to convert the store into office space for 'Angel Investigations', the two apartments into one comfortable home for Dawn and Adanar and the basement into a safe retreat for Angel.

Remodelled and refurbished, it was a pleasant and inviting place that didn't hint at the funds the agency had at its disposal; thanks to Dawns Berdea crystals and the money Angel had made from the sale of the half demolished Hyperion hotel. It did boast a security system capable of turning the thick stone walls into a fortress in addition to several high level magical spells would prevent all but the most formidable magic users attacking the agency or its personnel in that way. None of which could be easily detected by the closest scrutiny by anyone, whether human or demonic. The best that money could buy _didn't_ have to be flashy or obvious and they had the very best but it was what money couldn't buy that they felt the lack of most keenly; absent friends.

"Evenin' Peaches. Danny Boy."

Spike entered from the hallway that led to the back door, shaking non-existent sewer dirt from his beloved duster. He went into his office and hung it on the coat rack before giving his personal space a satisfied glance. They each had an office; Spike's desk had a computer he used mainly for playing games and an antique silver fold out photo frame, a gift from Dawn. As he did every time he entered, he picked it up and smiled at each of the three images; a copy of a photo of Dawn, Buffy and Joyce that once graced the mantelpiece in the Summer's living room; a photo taken the day of Dawn's infamous 'nobody leave' wish with the entire Scooby 'family' and one of he and Joyce sharing a laugh in his Sunnydale crypt.

He removed the latter from the frame and turned it over to read the message neatly written there; _To Spike, with love_ _and thanks from your friend, Tara_. Only Glinda would want to do something so thoughtful for a vamp who had punched her in the jaw to prove she wasn't a demon, he thought sadly. Dawn had told him that Willow found the photo in a box of stuff she'd left with Giles; a photo Tara had obviously magic-ed so that his image was clear instead of the usually fuzzy vamp photo image but not had the opportunity to give to him. He and Joyce sat close together, faces in three quarter profile and smiling at something in front of them; probably "Passions" as Dawn had suggested with a knowing laugh. He slid the photo back into its frame and headed to the kitchen for a mug of blood.

Angel was already standing by the microwave and Spike was pleased to see three mugs on the turnstile. Both vampires were making a concerted effort to get along these days. It wasn't easy; Spike still tried to get a rise from his Sire and Angel still treated his childre as a fool. But they were trying to break the habits of more than a century of Angelus/William the Bloody and Angel/Spike the Slayer of Slayers. It was proving to be one hell of a challenge for them both.

The microwave pinged and Angel handed Spike a mug, asking politely,

"Would you take this out to Adanar, please Spike? Oh, did I tell you I found someone to supply us with a little otter? I thought we'd give it a taste test."

"My mouth's watering with the smell of it. Don't let mine go cold if the Big Guy's in the mood for a chat, eh?"

Spike took the proffered mug and sniffed its contents as he crossed to the reception area; one of Adanar's herbal teas, a hint of chamomile, mint and St. John's Wort. Three of the twenty odd herbs the Ganaru had growing in the high walled back yard. Spike grinned to himself as he heard the familiar sounds of 'Crash Bandicoot' coming from the front desk computer. Adanar ignored him as he tried to co-ordinate a series of jumps. Setting the steaming mug by the Ganaru's hand, the blond vamp checked the score and whistled; it was in danger of surpassing Angels best.

Heading back to the kitchen to share the good news, he tried to hide a grin as he casually sipped his perfectly warmed blood and told his Sire,

"The Big Guy's just about to push you back a place, mate. He's really getting the hang of 'Crash'. Isn't he?"

Angel looked dismayed,

"He's not, is he? Damn, it's taken me months to get that number one spot!"

Spike followed the dark haired vamp into the foyer and heard him groan. Adanar kept his eyes on the screen and his fingers working busily as he asked,

"What is wrong, Angel? Am I playing the game incorrectly?"

"No. You're doing extremely well, as a matter of fact. You've just manage to earn the highest any of us have ever scored. Congratulations."

Angel tried to sound pleased for him.

The vamp felt a sneaky pang of pleasure as Gunn and Dawn entered and their laughter caused Adanar to falter and fail; too late to save his own number one position.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

The demons were huge but slow, lumbering and stupid. Dawn danced back from the one she was fighting, glanced over to where Spike was punching his and asked,  
"So Spike; the whole soul thing? Was it worth it?"

"How do you mean, pet? I didn't get to ride off into the sunset with the girl, if that's what you're asking."  
He landed a series of blows that sent his opponent staggering backwards into a wall.

"No, I kinda figured that bit out. She _was_ seriously impressed though. I guess I mean; do you _regret_ it? Not being footloose and evil any more."  
Her flashing blade ripped a deep furrow across the demons chest and it bellowed as it closed in on her slight form.

The blond vamp held off the demon as he considered the question seriously.  
"Sometimes. Having all this free will can be a bit of a bugger. I have to remember I can't just up and punch out Peaches when he's annoying the crap out of me. And I _don't_ appreciate the way the Powers That Crap All Over You figure they can just bounce me in and out of Hell whenever they feel like it. Uh, Niblet? I wouldn't aim at a Sendran's belly if .."

"Eeeeww! You slimed me! This isn't the set of "Ghostbusters" you gross, disgusting whatever! No sliming allowed!"  
Dawn wrinkled her nose and tried to breathe through her mouth under the copious layer of foul smelling digestive juices. Taking a standing leap, she decapitated the still-regurgitating Sendran. Spike tried not to laugh at the sight of the furious girl covered in a disgusting mess off green and orange. He paid for his inattention by having his opponent land a punch that should have shattered his jaw.

"Oooww! Good thing I don't actually have to chew my food! Play time's over."  
A flurry of punches and kicks sent the beast to its knees and the vamp swiftly closed in behind and snapped its neck.

"Are they peas?"  
He asked interestedly. Dawn momentarily ceased trying to wipe her self clean to give him a death stare.

Her voice icy and heavy with sarcasm, she replied,  
"No, they just _look_ like peas. All puke has things that look like peas, you twit! Or corn. It's one of the primary laws of nature; if puke doesn't have things that look like peas then it has things that look like kernels of corn. Can we go now? I want a nice hot shower with extra flowery shower gel!"

Spike raised an eyebrow as he studied her dripping figure, pursed his lips and informed her,  
"There's no way you're getting into _my_ car with that stinking gunk all over you! Blood might be a right bugger to get out of the upholstery but the smell of Sendran spew can never be fully removed!"

Gunn returned from the other end of the alley, wiping his sword clean as he shook his head at Dawn's sorry state.  
"Hi guys! Whoa Dawnie, you stabbed a Sendran in the belly? Bad move, real bad move. You're not gonna get in the car, are you? That stuff never comes out of the upholstery you know! Is that corn? I didn't think Sendran's were into vegetables."

If it was at all possible to maintain a degree of haughty disdain when covered in stinking slime, Dawn managed the feat. Lifting her chin and holding herself regally erect, she announced,  
"I was planning on walking home to take advantage of this wonderful weather anyway! Actually, I might jog; got to keep up my speed now that I'm losing the whole gravity advantage thing. See you at home boys."

They watched her race away. Gunn shared a grin with Spike as he observed,  
"I'm not sure she is any slower, she still has speed to burn, if you ask me. We weren't _too_ mean, were we? There is a tarp in the boot, after all."

"Nah, Bit's a good sport. But I'd sleep with one eye open for a few days, just as a precaution, like. There's always a chance we could wake up painted blue or even naked somewhere along Rodeo Drive at its busiest."

"Oh great. Now you tell me? Let's catch up to her and let her in the car."

"You've been hangin' around the Poof too long mate. Fancy bein' scared of a little girl!"  
Spike shook his head sadly.

"That 'little girl' survived six years in a hell dimension, remember? And I'm not ashamed to admit that she can be every bit as intimidating, if not as downright scary, as any vamp I know; present company _in_-cluded."  
Gunn tossed his sword into the boot of the car and tried to ignore the sniggering vamp.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Angel glanced at Gunn, rolled his eyes and sighed. I wish Dawn would get her revenge over and done with, the dark haired vamp thought, she's got Gunn and Spike totally paranoid. To Gunn he merely muttered,  
"We're gonna get hurt if you don't keep your mind on what we're doing. Dawn's not skulking anywhere along this sewer; the vamps and their nest are, so can we please just clean them out and get out of here?"

Gunn ducked his head ruefully.  
"Yeah, sorry Angel. It's just that .. it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? She can't have just forgotten or.. Uh-oh."

He raised his crossbow and sent a bolt into one of the charging demons. Angel staked one, kicked a second in the chest and sent it back pedalling away from him and drove a stake through a third ones heart. Gunn spun to see a group of four vamps coming up behind him and Angel, effectively trapping them both. His second bolt took out the lead vampire and the man dropped the now useless crossbow and drew his sword in time to fend off another. The fight was short, gruelling and vicious but man and soul-ed vamp prevailed.

Breathing heavily, Gunn sheathed his sword, rescued the crossbow from the stinking sludge trickling through the sewer and eyed his boss closely,  
"Man, no one would ever believe you couldn't walk a couple of months back! Adanar sure did a good job, didn't he? Handy having a healer about the place, isn't it?"

Angel nodded,  
"Sure is. 'The Powers that Be' did us a big favour sending Dawn and Adanar back when they did. I'm not sure we'd be still in business so soon without them."

Vampire hearing caught the sound of movement further along the sewer and Angel gestured for Gunn to be quiet and follow him. Fifty yards on Gunn heard a heavy splash and the metal on cement grind of a manhole cover being slammed back into place. Cautiously, they drew near to a dark bundle lying inert under the manhole opening. Gunn caught the metallic odour of blood and hung back a little, gripping his sword and glancing back over his shoulder as Angel moved to examine the body.

"What is it?"  
Gunn couldn't figure out what creature had a coating of blood over its skin.

Angel studied the body for another few seconds before straightening and rubbing a hand over his face in distress,  
"It's a girl and she's been flayed. She's still warm. Damn, she's not very old at all; maybe nine, ten tops!"

"Oh shit; there are some sick bastards in the world, aren't there? What're we gonna do about her?"  
Gunn risked a glance at the small form and wished he hadn't. He turned away and heaved, knowing Angel wouldn't see it as weakness. Truth be told; it was sheer anger that made his stomach rebel.

Angel turned away with a weary shrug of his shoulders,  
"Not much we can do. An anonymous call to the police. Whoever did this knew what they were doing; her skin was removed entirely, hair and all. I'll do some research; there are a few religions with this kind of ritual. We keep our eyes and ears open too; I want to find whoever or whatever did this and close them down."

"I wouldn't mind them going as slow and painful as she did! God, I hope she was dead first! Imagine.."  
His voiced trailed off.

"Let's go. We'll go up through the next manhole and make sure of the position. Maybe I'll be able to track, but she was probably brought by car. I can't see anyone carrying her going unnoticed; even in this city."

The vamp turned and led the way and neither man spoke again until they reached the office.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

While Angel made the phone call Gunn told Adanar of what they'd found. The Ganaru shuddered and his bronze eyes filled with tears. Hearing Dawn racing down the stairs from the apartment above Adanar suggested quietly,  
"Perhaps we should not mention this to Dawn tonight? It would only give her nightmares and she is unusually cheerful this evening for some reason."

Angel's hearing heard Spike's indignant roaring before the others and he cocked his head, smiled and warned,  
"Dawn has probably managed to get her own back on Spike from the sound of it! Wonder what she's done?"

"You're dead, Bit! Not even the Slayer could save you now! Get back here you trollop!"

Dawn bolted into the reception area, a huge smile on her face as she wove between Angel and Gunn to hide behind Adanar. As Spike followed, so enraged he was in full game face, the others stood open mouthed as they took in the sight of him. Under the light his bleached hair glittered. Not only his hair but a light dusting of shiny glitter seemed to cover his face, hands and clothes.

Angel was the first to get his voice back, pointing out helpfully,  
"Uh Spike, you're sparkling!"

"Of course I'm _sparkling_ you bloody git! She.. that _wench_ put glitter in my gel! And cause I got it on my hands it's all bloody well over me! You gotta come out from behind him sometime Niblet and when you do… "  
He glared at the laughing Adanar and turned a suspicious eye on Gunn, who kept his face straight for about five seconds before laughing until he doubled over.

"Dunno what your giggling about Charlie; what's she got up her nasty little sleeve for _you_, eh?"  
Spike roared and was pleased to see Gunn flinch and eye off Dawn warily.

Unrepentantly, Dawn waved at Spike before dodging around Adanar and heading for the door into the back of the office area. Spike was too fast and she found herself tackled to the floor, the irate vamp straddling her waist and gripping her hands but before he could retaliate they heard a polite cough.

"Uh, excuse me but I'm looking for .. oh, hello Miss Summers."  
The young priest stared at the scene with obvious confusion.

From where she lay Dawn smiled up at him and said sweetly,  
"Father Mathew; how nice to see you again. You've met Gunn of course, may I introduce Angel, my friend Adanar and Spike, who is currently sitting on me. He seems to be in somewhat of a bad mood, probably due to a mishap he appears to have had with his glitter cosmetics. He really should be more careful with reading the labels."

Spike mustered some small measure of dignity, let Dawn loose, rose, nodded at the priest and muttered,  
"You'll keep Niblet. Meanwhile, I'm gonna be washing this off upstairs in _your_ shower. 'Scuse me Father. Stop smirking you ponce or I'll make sure something nasty ends up in your bloody hair gel!"

Angel ignored him and waved the priest into his office.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

One of the things Dawn enjoyed most about her new home was the covered patio that opened off the kitchen. It overlooked the high walled backyard with the gardens Adanar lovingly tended. On the patio were tubs of herbs and an old honeysuckle vine wound its way thickly through the wrought iron balustrade. It was an oasis of sweet scents in the stale chemical L. A. smog that passed for air. The office didn't open until noon so Dawn and Adanar had gotten into the habit of having a leisurely brunch, listening to the radio and reading the papers until it was time for work. Occasionally Gunn joined them and provided fresh croissants to add to the fresh fruit and cheese platters and coffee that were their favoured breakfast fare.

This morning it was just the two of them and Dawn wasn't at all surprised. She smiled to herself as she pictured Gunn's reactions to her prank and decided it was a shame that she would have to wait the way she had to wait for Spike's the previous evening.

"So what have you arranged for Gunn?"  
Adanar had caught her smile and understood the reason for it.

"I filled some gelatine caps with really cheap scented oil and stuck them in his shower head. He's gonna smell like a whore house on a Saturday night."

Adanar smiled but shook his head,  
"As long as he doesn't destroy our bathroom trying to remove it as Spike did that glitter."

The Ganaru loved cleanliness and order and Spike had left a trail of water, sodden towels and glitter on every possible surface. He'd even used one of Dawn's lipsticks to scrawl 'Death to Dawn' and 'I'll get you, Bit!' on the mirror. Although she'd offered to clean up the mess Adanar insisted on doing it and she let him, knowing that he found it hard to believe anyone else could match his expectations.

"Sorry about that. Spike always kept his crypt very clean and tidy and he should have remembered I'm messy and that _you _would have to be the one to clean our place."

He waved the apology away, amused by her inventiveness,  
"Oh I didn't really mind. He did look most incredibly funny all sparkly and angry. I wonder how long it will take for him to remove all of it?"

"Ooh days I expect. That stuff seems to breed almost. He'll be… Oh."

Her tone changed suddenly and he looked up to see her face grow pale but the three faint lines on her cheek that were all that remained of her self inflicted scars reddened, a sure sign of anger.

"What is it?"

She looked up from the paper to answer him in a flat voice,  
"They found a child in the sewers. She'd been skinned. Do we know any demon types with that particular habit?"

"Not from memory. But Angel was going to research it. He and Gunn found her last night but I asked them to wait until today to tell you. You were so _happy,_ you see."  
He said as she frowned.

Dawn sighed,  
"We can't work like that; keeping secrets. I understand why you did it and I love that you care so much, but life's a bitch and she gets off the chain a lot. That's just the way it is, there's no protection from reality."

He nodded and she smiled, saying in the gentle tone she reserved for him alone,  
"But it _was_ a kind thought, my friend. Thank you."

She frowned again and asked,  
"You gave up the chance to get back to Ganarid because I told you this world was worth saving but now you've seen how much evil there is here, do you wish you _hadn't_ sacrificed the portal device?"

Adanar thought about it while he peeled an orange.  
"No; Angel, Spike and Gunn were worth the device. So are Buffy, Giles and Willow. There is evil in every world Dawn, even Ganarid and besides I have no way of telling how much time has past there. I find myself liking this world, so there's no need for you to worry. It _is _worth fighting for and I am a fighter now."

"But you _are_ still going to that shelter with Father Mathew this evening? Healing is what you love most and there are a lot of creatures out there who can't afford or aren't able to find any sort of medical help."

If Dawn had been able, she would have kept Adanar too busy with healing to fight.

"Oh yes. Gunn's going to join us; the woman who runs the shelter is an old friend of his and he will be able to vouch for my good intentions. So I hope he isn't so overly fragrant as to not want to come with us."  
He commented with a laugh.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Your after shave's on the nose mate. 'Attar of bloody roses' or whatever isn't all that _manly_. You thinkin' of batting for the other side now?"  
Spike's grin was evil and Gunn glared back.

"So where's little Miss Vengeance hiding? I want to know how she managed to get into my apartment! And you can get that grin off your face too Angel!"

"I'm more interested in knowing how she managed to ensure you'd dowse yourself in that stuff."  
The dark haired vamp said without trying to hide his smile. He had to hand it to Dawn; she had a deft hand at getting even with style.

"She put it in my shower head. The rotten sneak must have used something that melted in the hot water. I scrubbed myself raw but couldn't get it all off. You guys sure she didn't come back from hell all evil?"

The two vamps looked at each other, grinned and spoke together,  
"Bit's always had a mean streak."  
"Dawn was a fiend as a child; always up to some mischief."

"Is it surprising? What kind of example was I set? Look at the critter's my sister hung out with. Jeez Gunn, that stuff didn't stink that much when I chose it! Leastways I don't think so. Must have been whatever you used trying to get it off."  
Dawn sniffed and crinkled her nose in disgust.

"You must have bought the nastiest concoction ever produced! And _how_ did you get into my place? All the keys are accounted for."  
He glared at the smiling girl.

"The super remembered me from when you were in hospital so I told him you'd left your key at home and wanted me to pick it up for you. Pleasant guy, but has no idea when it comes to security. Anyway you _have_ got most of it off, I can barely smell it."

He didn't know whether to believe her or not and turned to Adanar for confirmation; lying didn't appear to be a Ganaru trait. Adanar nodded and Gunn seemed to be somewhat appeased. Noticing that Spike still wore a sprinkle of glitter, he realised that he'd got off relatively lightly; Dawn must of known that he'd be able to scrub the cheap scent off without too much effort. Father Mathew arrived soon after and he, Gunn and Adanar left for the shelter.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Spike rubbed his eyes, stretched, grabbed a few pages of print out and headed for Dawn's office. He hated research but Angel had a call from Nina to remind him it was a full moon and he'd left to collect her for an overnight stay inthe room in his basement apartment he'd had reinforced for the purpose of containing her werewolf persona. Glancing at the clock on Dawn's desk, the blond vamp thought that 'if they aren't back soon Peaches is gonna be in need of a nice strong leash for dog-girl.'

He was grinning to himself as he asked,  
"I got five demon species, only two I reckon are possible, and two cults. Kinda surprisin' that given what this city manages to attract. Must be more loonies per mile in L.A. than in any other city when you think about it."

"You're probably right there. Are your two demons the Krell and the Serquia?"  
Dawn glanced at her screen.

"Great minds think alike, Niblet. My cults are the 'Order of Canis Minor' and the 'Inner Circle of Boab'."

She smiled,  
"What can I say; fools never differ. I guess we start checking them out tomorrow. At least, Gunn and I get the woof-woof boys and the devil wannabes. You and Angel get the warty-skins and the ones that look like demented sea urchins."

"Demented what?"  
Angel asked as he came to the door. He had waited and made sure that Nina in her werewolf form could neither escape from the 'safe' room nor hurt herself in any way before joining them.

"Sea Urchins. Those things that look like spiky slugs and put you right off of Sushi."  
Dawn told him. She yawned before pushing her chair back and standing.

"How do you want your caffeine pet, hot or cold?"  
Spike wanted to know, handing Angel his print outs.

"Here Peaches, me and Bit came up with the same list of suspects. Dog.. Nina all set for the night?"  
Damn it was hard trying to be polite all the bloody time! A guy could even say it was downright un-natural!

"Hot please Spike. Hey Angel I've been wondering; when Father Mathew came by last night did he say _how_ he knew Adanar was a healer?"  
The thought had occurred to her earlier and not left her mind.

Spike waited in the door way for Angel to answer, he hadn't talked to the priest because he was creating mayhem in Dawn and Adanar's bathroom. He and the Ganaru had become good friends over the past four months and if the Big Guy was in trouble, he wanted to know. There was a lengthy pause and the dark haired vamp's expression grew evermore confused.

He answered slowly,  
"I don't think he did. Maybe someone told him? Who has Adanar been treating?"

"That's just it; apart from you and Gunn he's only seen that Kernot with the broken arm and the little Dan girl with the scald. I'd be real surprised if either of them went to his church. So how did he know?"  
She tried to hide her worry; it was probably nothing but her protective side coming out whenever Adanar was concerned.

Angel tried to allay her fears by saying lightly,  
"Gunn must have told Anne how Adanar has been helping him heal. Ask him when they get back. You two take a break and I'll go through these and try and get some idea of where we should start. Oh, let me know if you can here Nina from out back; I think the sound-proofing should be enough but if it isn't I will have to re-think it."

But when Gunn and Adanar returned a little later and Angel put the question to them, neither could remember the priest saying where his knowledge come from and Gunn had not mentioned the healer to Anne.

"You can't trust these religious buggers. Last one I came across was that wanker Caleb who went around with his mates killing Potentials and _he_ had to be taken out with the Slayer's magic slice-n-dice and even she found it a tough job!"  
Was Spike's appraisal of the situation and he resolved to ask the bloody God-botherer where he got his information from at the very first opportunity.


End file.
